Rumor: Dell and HP are working on high-end Chromebooks

Dell and HP, among others, are working on high-end laptops with Chrome OS. That’s what XDA-Developers claims based on a series of commits to Chrome OS’s source code. The laptops run on Kaby Lake processors and have screens with a resolution of 2400×1600 pixels.

A total of five models are in the works based on the same specifications, XDA-Developers reports. One is from Dell, another from HP, and for other models it is unknown who the producer will be. The models are all based on ‘Nami’, a reference design with many components on the basis of which manufacturers can relatively easily base their own laptop.

The laptops have a Kaby Lake and presumably they are Intel processors with high TDP, something the site infers from the existence of a profile for cooling via a fan. The models have a memory of 8GB or 16GB. The screen has a resolution of 2400×1600 pixels, according to a commit. That’s an aspect ratio of 3:2. Google uses that resolution itself on its Pixelbook, which was released last year. Four of the five models have a backlight in the keyboard.

The laptops are still in development and will probably appear at the end of this year or early next year, estimates XDA-Developers. There are currently few high-end laptops with Chrome OS. Many manufacturers use Google’s operating system for cheap models. Google and the manufacturers have not yet responded to the information.

Google Pixelbook